Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-01-17
Petition for a Monument.

"7iAiAie TIC A@t's- I>i1luAC ~ dPPiS ~
sum of 5000 to procure and erect suit
able monuments on the Gettysburg bat
tle-feld, commemorative of the services
of the Wisconsin regiments engaged in
that battle; and that the further sum of
81, 900 be appropriated and paid to the
Gettysburg battlefield association.
These memorialists respectfully repre-
sent that in view of the important part
enacted in the great and decisive battle
of Gettysburg, Pa, July 1st. I'd, Sd,
1868, by certain Wisconsin regiments, it
would be most fitting and just for the
living patriots of the state to pay some
proper tribute to the memory of those,
our patriot dead, who for our flag, the
Union and country laid down their lives
as a sacrifice in that sanguinary strug-
gle. Gettysburg was the pivotal battle
of the war, and it will forever stand as
monument to the honor of our state, that
six regiments of her heroic soldiery par
ticipated in that battle, viz: The Second,
Third, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Twenty
sixth regiments; that no other state in
the Union had better reason to be proud
of the bearing and achievements of its
volunteers in the grand armies of the
Rebellion, whether in any particular
battle or campaign, or in the aggregate
sum of their services, from the first rebel
gun at Fort Sumter down to the closing
scenes at Appomattox. The Wisconsin
regiments above referred to present a
fighting record very rarely PARALLEL by
any regiments ever organized in any
war of like duration. The Second par
ticipated in 20 engagements and left
dead on the field 124 men including z
officers. The Third, in Is battles, its list
of killed numbering lis, including of
ficers. The Fifth, in % battles, lost in
killed on the field 10 men, including Z
officers. The Sixth, in "a battles, lost,
killed 1853 men, including Is officers.
The Seventh, in % battles, lost, killed
1913 men. including officers. The
Twenty-sixth, in 10 battles, had 81 men
killed, including 8 officers. The total
killed in the six regiments named was
726-more than II per cent of six full
regiments. On the Gettysburg battle
field alone these regiments lost in killed
90 men, including officers, while the
entire six regiments, on the morning of
the first days battle, could scarcely have
mustered 1900 fighting men. These
generaliZed facts, alone, to say nothing
of the privations and sufferings by march
and camp, of the vigils and perils of
picket service, of sickness and death by
disease, tell tale of faithful, brave and
heroic sacrifice scarcely parallel by the
soldiery of any war in history. Justice
to the living who returned to their homes
shattered in health or MANNED in limb,
as well as decent regard for the men,
DRY of the martyr-dead, unite to demand
some appropriate acknowledgment of
their services. No money nor monu-
ments can adequately repay the living
or compensate for the dead. The loyal
people of Pennsylvania formed an or
ganization in 1864 known as the Get
tysburg Battlefield Memorial Associa-
ton which was incorporated by an act
of the General Assembly of that state,
April 80, 1864, for the purpose of hold
ing and preserving the battle grounds of \
with natural and artificial
defences. and to perpetuate the same
with such memorial structures as might
the heroic deeds and achievements of
the actors in that great contest. All of
the loyal states whose regiments partic-
ipated in that battle, except Wisconsin,
have erected monuments on the field
marking the points where such regi-
ments were most holly engaged. To the
end that the memory of our dead may
be perpetuated and that a suitable ac-
Acknowledgement of their sacrlficial death
may be made by the people of the state
of Wisconsin. these petitioners ask the
passage of bill, allowing the granting
of the above sums to these funds. The
following are the names signed to this
petition last Friday; N. b. Prentice, Co.
f. 9Th Wis. Vol; James H. Brunnemer.
Corp. Co. II. 9Th Reg; Philip Check,